Chinatown, Manchester

Creative Tourist

Wedged between Mosley and Portland Streets, Manchester’s Chinatown a riot of colour and flavour; restaurants serving up Chinese, Japanese, Nepalese, Vietnamese and Thai food jostle for attention at street level, with more places to eat, specialist groceries, karaoke bars and massage parlours occupying basements and upper floors. It’s always a fun place for dining out, and some of the city’s top kitchens are here. Every Mancunian has an opinion about the best restaurants in Chinatown.

If you’re looking for spice, the mighty Red Chilli gets a lot of love from foodies; it was one of the first to serve fiery Sichuan food in town. For Japanese, head for Yuzu – this restaurant doesn’t even serve sushi but is widely reckoned to be among the best in the city. Feast on homestyle rice and noodle dishes, and sample what may be the city’s best sake bar. For a quick bite, Ho’s Bakery’s buns are not to be missed – honey buns, cream buns, coconut, and red bean buns, all pillowy soft in that way that only Chinese baking can be.

The small markets in Chinatown are a terrific resource for the home cook. Wing Fat, Woo Sang, and their competitors stock a broad selection of Chinese produce, including obscure greens you’ll never see in Tesco. The more adventurous can experiment with esoteric snacks like dried cuttlefish, day-glo pink panda-shaped biscuits, and squat doughy cakes filled with crushed peanuts.

But you probably came here for the restaurants, right? Here are our favourites.

Our top picks

Yang Sing

Yang Sing, 34 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 4JY - Visit now

Yang Sing has long been regarded as one of city’s finest Chinese restaurants, by both critics and diners alike. It’s based on the edge of Chinatown and comes highly praised for its dim sum and range of unusual dishes.

Yang Sing

Teppanyaki Chinatown

Teppanyaki Chinatown, 58-60 George St, Manchester, M1 4HF - Visit now

Chinatown isn’t strictly about Chinese food — there are plenty of other east Asian options too. The Japanese teppanyaki style of cooking involves a chef using an iron griddle in front of diners, often performing theatrics to entertain the diners.

Teppanyaki

Try Thai Manchester

Try Thai Manchester, 52-54 Faulkner Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 4FH - Visit now

Try Thai has been quietly going about its business for many, many years, serving up authentic, well-made Thai dishes in the heart of Chinatown.

Try Thai

Red Chilli, Portland Street

Red Chilli, Portland Street, 70-72 Portland St, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 4GU - Visit now

If you’re looking for spice, this eatery gets a lot of love from foodies; it was one of the first to serve fiery Sichuan food in town.

Yuzu

Yuzu, 39 Faulkner Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 4EE - Visit now

Hole up with warm sake and some small, vivid dishes of Japanese comfort food at Yuzu, a Chinatown Japanese restaurant that beckons you to return.

Yuzu Manchester

Hunan Restaurant

Hunan Restaurant, 1st Floor, 19-21 George St, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 4HE - Visit now

Hunan serves up generous portions of tasty, unpretentious food at pleasingly low prices – exactly what you hope to find in Chinatown. The cuisine is based on the Hunan province of China, which means it’s spicy but not gasping-for-air spicy.

hunan chinese restaurant manchester

Ho’s Bakery

Ho’s Bakery, 56 Faulkner Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 4FH - Visit now

Giggle at the name all you want, Ho’s buns are the business. Honey buns, cream buns, roast pork, coconut, and (mmm) red bean buns, all pillowy soft in that way that only Chinese baking can be.

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